Salma - Honduras 2012 Verified listing

Farm’s name and location:

Salma farm is owned by Miroslav Cuculiza and is located in the Lepaterique community in the municipality of Guamaica, Department of Francisco Morazan. It has an altitude of 1700 and 1800 meters above sea level and is located 9 km from the community of Guaimaca and 99 kilometers from the national capital of Tegucigalpa, the departmental capital. This farm is managed through an agroforestry system under the shade with no use of agrochemicals in the highest point (1800 meters above sea level) since at that altitude there are no plagues. For the soil and water conservation, there are draining canals constructed in curves at level to minimize the erosion throughout the coffee plantation and it also has a protected forest area with timber and fruit trees.
What is your farm’s history? Is your farm a family unit? How long has it belonged to your family? How many members make up your family? I bought this property from Mr. Narciso Pinot 22 years ago, without the cultivated coffee, part of the property was used to grow grains (corn) and the rest were pastures. With much sacrifice I started growing coffee 20 years ago, first with 4 hectares and little by little I have been investing in my farm and now I produce 8 hectares. I harvest closeto 160 qq of the catuai coffee variety. Part of my family is involved with the farm’s activity and it is our main source of income. How many persons work in your farm, family members, permanent employees and temporary employees? We have four permanent employees with their families for the farm’s maintenance and each family has about 5 members mainly children who go to school located in Guarlaca. I hire around 30 temporary workers to manage the cultivation process including picking the harvest and the milling process.
What natural resources conservation practices do you follow in the farm? 1 – The coffee is grown under the shade of forest trees, besides planting in curves at level to minimize soil erosion. 2 – There is waste water management treatment for the milling process so the water returns without pollution to the rivers.
3 –There is solid waste management treatment with the composting process.
What is the shade percentage and the varieties found in your farm? All the coffee in my farm that is below 1800 meters above sea level is under the shade and I use Guajiniquil and fruit trees. Only 1.5 hectares is above 1800 meters above sea level and it has a 20% shade with the same species. What type of fertilization process do you use in your farm? I generally use organic fertilization (coffee pulp) and two chemical fertilizations yearly after undergoing a soil analysis and getting feedback from the soil analysis lab from IHCAFE. What type of management do you use in your farm (traditional, semi-technical, technical?)The management of the farm is semi-technical but with little use of chemical products.
Are you part of an association or cooperative? Right now I don’t belong to any type of cooperative or organization, I work individually in coordination with my familyWhat is the secret for winning this competition (describe the preparation process of the competing lot)? My secret to get into this competition is the excellent location of my farm to produce quality coffee (good altitude above sea level), I train my workers (coffee pickers) on how to collect the coffee cherry (only the red one) and I also train them in good milling, drying and storage practices, and also because of the good pay I give my pickers as an incentive to do a good job in the processing of the coffee, and I try to the same with the workers and give them good food and lodging conditions.
How does it feel to be a winner of the Cup of Excellence? I feel encouraged and fortunate and with the desire to continue participating in other competitions, and to improve my farm’s production and it also helps improve my workers’ living conditions by giving them a good salary for the work they do in maintenance, harvesting and the milling process.
Who prepares your coffee for exportation? (Explain how you sell it and to whom)?I get part of my family involved in the sale, selling our parchment coffee to the highest bidder and also to the exporter in a given chance.
What is your opinion of the Cup of Excellence? It is a good opportunity for the growers to participate in the international market, always with the desire to keep participating in future competitions, besides being beneficial for the grower, we get to know the coffee’s qualities and the best is that it helps us financially.
What has been your experience in the Cup of Excellence? I have participated in nine competitions of the Cup of Excellence, and I have classified for the online auction the years 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2012. In 2005 I won fifth place and with an auction price of US$ 6.30 per coffee pound.